Supernova Remnants: Dazzling Entrails of Violent Stellar Death

Even in death, there can be great beauty. Consider supernova remnants, the results of massive stars dying in great explosions, creating some of the most spectacular cosmic objects around.

Every 50 years or so, a star in our galaxy with more than 10 times the mass of our sun will expire. When such stars die, they go supernova, one of the most violent events in our universe. These explosions shoot off tons of material from the central star at up to 10 percent the speed of light.

Though the area surrounding stars seems empty, it is usually home to vast amounts of interstellar gas and dust. The supernova’s outburst runs into this surrounding material, creating a shockwave and heating it to temperatures greater than 10,000 Celsius. Over thousands of years, the local structure of the gas and dust shapes the stellar outpouring into shells, filaments, and other diffuse forms. Astronomers call these objects supernova remnants.

Supernova explosions and the remnants they leave behind have wide-ranging effects. They heat up the interstellar medium, creating complex chemistry out in space, and are responsible for accelerating protons and other atomic nuclei, which go zipping around the universe as cosmic rays. Perhaps most importantly, supernova explosions generate and liberate heavy elements, such as oxygen, carbon, and all metals, distributing them out into the wider cosmos. These elements eventually find their way into planetary systems, making life possible on at least one world that we know of.

Here, we take a look at some of the most famous and beautiful supernova remnants, giving you a chance to contemplate life, death, and cycles of renewal in the universe.

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Supernova Superbubble

The supernova remnant N186 D appears as a bright pink spot at the top of this new image released by NASA on Jan. 28, spewing off tremendous amounts of X-rays. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 160,000 light-years away, the remnant is blowing a huge bubble (the giant structure below the bright spot) as hot wind carves out a shock wave in the surrounding material.

Crab Nebula

Arguably the most famous supernova remnant is the Crab nebula, found 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. The remnant represents the remains of a supernova that exploded in 1054 A.D., which was recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers at the time. At the Crab nebula’s center is a spinning pulsar, a neutron star that spews a beam of radiation at Earth every 30.2 seconds.

Kepler’s Supernova

Visible to the naked eye, a spectacular supernova occurred in 1604. It was noticed by luminaries of the day, including astronomer Johannes Kepler, and left behind a beautiful remnant, now known as SN 1604 or Kepler’s supernova remnant. This image combines observations of the remnant from three different NASA telescopes to produce a dazzling result.

Veil Nebula

The haunting Veil nebula appears here as a gorgeous tangle of gas and dust. This remnant is the result of a supernova that exploded 5,000 to 10,000 years ago and can be found 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.

Filaments of Death

Thousands of years ago, a giant star exploded. It’s light may have been noticed by people on Earth, though no one seems to have recorded it. But modern astronomers can see the filaments it left behind in this remnant, DEM L 190, located about 170,000 light-years away.

Manatee Nebula

The long supernova remnant W50 can be seen in radio wavelengths in this image. Some astronomers, particularly those from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, think it bears a striking resemblance to a manatee and recently gave it the name Manatee nebula. It joins a long list of animal-shaped nebula that we recently chronicled.

Oldest Supernova

The oldest recorded supernova is this one, RCW 86, located 8,000 light-years away in the constellation Circinus. It was noted nearly 2,000 years ago (in 185 A.D.) as a “guest star” in Chinese astronomical documents. Light from the supernova was visible for nearly eight months in the sky before it faded, leaving this amazing remnant behind.

Supernova 1006

In 1006 A.D., a new star appeared to astronomers all over the world. It was recorded in documents across China, Japan, Europe, and the Arab world. Supernova 1006, as it is now known, can be seen expanding outward from its center, which is nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth.

Spaghetti Nebula

The thin, ropy filaments of this nebula, Simeis 147, might make you a bit hungry. It has been given the moniker Spaghetti nebula and it the remains of a supernova that exploded 40,000 years ago in the constellation Taurus, about 3,000 light-years away.

Close-Up Supernova

In 1987, astronomers were given a treat when light from nearby star’s supernova reached Earth. Visible to the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere, SN 1987A was one of the closest supernovas seen with modern telescopes, helping scientists to understand the underlying dynamics of these events. Detectors online at the time recorded neutrinos originating from SN 1987A, which went a long way in helping dispel a later observation that neutrinos could travel faster than light.

Tycho’s Supernova

One of the few supernovas to be observed with the naked eye and recorded during the modern scientific era was SN 1572, or Tycho’s supernova. In November of 1572, this “new star” appeared in the sky and was observed by many scientists, particularly astronomer Tycho Brahe. This composite image from several telescopes shows some of the beautiful structure within the supernova remnant.